OffTrackBetting.com – The Grade 1 United Nations Stakes is on tap for this Sunday, July 3 from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. Horses three years old and upward will take to Monmouth Park’s turf track and race 1 3/8 miles searching for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.
A field of 10 will take to the track in the United Nations Stakes – race 9 on Monmouth Park’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:52 PM. Let’s take a look into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this intriguing Grade 1 stakes.
2016 United Nations Stakes Race Preview at Monmouth Park
Wake Forest 5-2 – German bred Chad Brown Group 3 winner at home has seven wins, a second and a third place finish in 13 career starts. He made his North American debut back in August and finished sixth in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions and was forced to the sidelines for eight months. He returned April 2 and posted a respectable second, a head behind Kaigun in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream and followed that with a terrific win last time out at this distance in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park May 14. Before shipping he posted a win in a Group 1 race in Hamburg. Wake Forest was impressive at home and arrives this week in career best form. He has placed in four of his last five starts overall and hopes for his second straight Grade 1 victory. John Velazquez gets the call on the 123 pound highweight and tepid morning line favorite from post 3.
World Approval 3-1 – Mark Casse trained gelding has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 14 career starts. He put his name on the radar with a win in July, 2015 in the Grade 3 American Derby and has been decent since. Last time out was an OK third behind the terrific Flintshire in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11 which followed a second behind Divisidero in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic May 7, another second in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds in March and an Allowance Optional Claiming score three weeks before that. He also won the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes last year and finished fourth in a pair of graded stakes races. World Approval has been competitive virtually every time out and will chase his first graded stakes victory in 10 months from gate 4. Julien Leparoux will be in the reins of the second betting choice.
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Mr Maybe 4-1 – Chad Brown trained gelding has 14 career starts with four wins, a second and four third place finishes. He was last seen finishing third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream in March which followed the best result of his career thus far – a win in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap November 14 and two straight Allowance scores in the fall. Mr Maybe had posted three wins and two thirds in his last five starts overall – very good ahead of this weekend. He tries for his first grade 1 score Sunday from post 5 with Irad Ortiz guiding the third choice.
Triple Threat 6-1 – Bill Mott French bred entry made his North American debut last June 7 and won the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes after 13 starts at home yielded three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He won the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam-Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte in July, 2013 and did finish third in a Group 2 in April of 2014 at Longchamp. He hasn’t been all that great lately – a seventh last time out in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11 followed a DNF in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic May 7, an Allowance score at Keeneland April 10 and consecutive sixths – the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap February 6 and in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International at Woodbine October 18. Triple Threat has been a tad tough to figure out and has failed to place in four of his last five starts. Jose Lezcano hopes to change all of that from gate 6 Sunday.
Can’thelpbelieving 8-1 – Irish bred Graham Motion trained gelding has three wins, five seconds and three third place finishes in 15 career starts. He enters off a decent third behind Wake Forest and Money Multiplier in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park May 14 which followed consecutive runner-up finishes – both Allowance races earlier this year. He won an Allowance Optional Claiming at Parx a year ago and has recorded third place finishes in a pair of minor stakes races but he’s also had an eighth in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap in November, 2014 and a fifth in the 2015 Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes – his only other graded stake results to date. He tries for his first stakes score with Joe Bravo aboard from the rail.
Money Multiplier 8-1 – has two wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 10 career starts for trainer Chad Brown. He broke maiden at Belmont Park last May in his fourth career starts and went on to a couple of good runner-up finishes – the Grade 3 Kent Stakes in July and the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September. He struggled after that however – a seventh in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes here in October and an eighth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November. He has been good in his last two starts however – a good second behind Wake Forest last time out in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park May 14 followed an OK Allowance score at Aqueduct April 15. Money Multiplier has been decent but will still be chasing his first stakes score Sunday. Javier Castellano has been tabbed to ride from gate 8.
Bigger Picture 15-1 – will make his stakes debut Sunday for trainer Michael Maker having posted six wins, three seconds and a third place finish. He enters on the heels of a two race win streak – both Allowance Optional Claiming races with the last coming at Belmont Park May 12. Before that was a fifth in a Claiming and consecutive runner-up finishes in Claiming races at Belmont Park. Bigger Picture takes an enormous step up in competition and does so in good form. Jockey Eric Cancel will try to keep an impressive run going from post 9 Sunday.
Riviere Du Loup 15-1 – Jason Servis trainee has five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 13 career starts. He has been good lately – three wins and two third place finishes in his last five starts overall. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track May 21 after a third in the minor Old Man Eloquent Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February and two straight Claiming scores to end 2015. Riviere Du Loup has been OK and will be out to make a statement from the outside gate 10 with Nik Juarez in the irons.
Cement Clement 20-1 – Tony Wilson trained gelding has eight wins, eight seconds and three third place finishes in 25 career starts. He makes his graded stakes debut Sunday off a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Delaware Park June 8, an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track May 28 and a third in the minor Tampa Turf Classic in April. Cement Clement has placed in four of his last five starts overall and will be after his first stakes score from gate 2. Jose Ferrer rides.
Noble Road 30-1 – Hugh McMahon trained gelding has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 18 career starts and makes his stakes debut Sunday. Last time out was a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Pimlico June 9, an ugly thirteenth in a similar race in May, a second in a Claiming at Laurel Park in May and a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in October. He has placed in just one of his last four starts overall and steps up in less-than-spectacular form. He leaves from post 7 with a yet-to-be-determined rider.
2016 United Nations Stakes Entries & Odds
Race 9 on Monmouth Park’s Sunday card with a Post Time of 4:52 PM.
Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Can’thelpbelieving (IRE) | 8-1 | Joe Bravo | H. Motion |
2 | Cement Clement | 20-1 | Jose Ferrer | Tony Wilson |
3 | Wake Forest (GER) | 5-2 | John Velazquez | Chad Brown |
4 | World Approval | 3-1 | Florent Geroux | Mark Casse |
5 | Mr Maybe | 4-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Chad Brown |
6 | Triple Threat (FR) | 6-1 | Jose Lezcano | William Mott |
7 | Noble Road | 30-1 | Hugh McMahon | |
8 | Money Multiplier | 8-1 | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown |
9 | Bigger Picture | 15-1 | Eric Cancel | Michael Maker |
10 | Riviere Du Loup | 15-1 | Nik Juarez | Jason Servis |